HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. (WJAC) -- More inmates from the Blair County Prison are walking free after the courts granted bail reductions to help cut down the prison population.
The prison has been operating with around 220 inmates, releasing roughly one-third of its normal population since the start of the pandemic.
A decision by the Blair County Court of common Pleas allowed for the release of inmates charged with violent crimes, including one waiting to be tried for attempted homicide.
Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks expressed concern for the public.
“There was an unprecedented, in my opinion, release of individuals who were charged with extremely violent and extremely serious offenses,” he said. “We’re very concerned about the safety of the community.”
On Tuesday, the court approved bail reductions for 8 inmates, several of whom are charged with aggravated assault and robbery.
Weeks said one of those prisoners was charged with attempted homicide following a shooting in Altoona in early 2020.
He was released outright after his $300,000 cash bail was reduced to zero.
“The allegation is, the individual used a baseball bat and a firearm and actually paralyzed the victim in that case.”
Weeks said he understands the efforts to lower mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in prison populations, but he's concerned by level of charges the released inmates are facing.
“The District Attorney’s Office has attempted to work with the defense bar and the courts to identify non-violent inmates and people charged with retail theft, people who do not have a history of violence,” he said.
Weeks doesn’t want a repeat of what happened when an inmate facing felony gun possession and drug trafficking charges was released last year.
“He was charged again after he was released over objection, with criminal attempted homicide for allegedly shooting someone in drug robbery in front of the Greenwood Sheetz,” Weeks said.
The courts suspended jury trials in Blair County due to concerns over COVID-19.
Weeks wants them to resume and believes it can happen safely.
“The commissioners have spent a great deal of money on making two of the court rooms, court room four and court room one, COVID-19 safe,” he said. “We’re anxious to be able to try to prosecute and resolve these cases, but we do believe that there is a serious issue with the safety of the community when you see releases of this nature.”
Weeks said the county has seen an increase in violent crimes and drug trafficking over the last year, saying Blair County saw more homicides in 2020 than in any of the ten years prior.
He said the district attorney’s office needs to be able to prosecute the individuals responsible and keep them off the streets.
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